


at the end of the world will you find me (so that we can go together)

by thegirlinthedress



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M, Zombie AU, the major character death isn't michael or gavin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-17 03:20:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11266875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlinthedress/pseuds/thegirlinthedress
Summary: Prompt: Zombie apocalypse where either Michael and Gav are the sole survivors of a massacre or are trying to help rebuild society.Michael couldn't kill the spark of hope that they weren't the only ones who’d got away. That maybe Gavin had made it out too. It would kill him if he had to walk back into that office and find Gavin's dead body. He was on the verge of a breakdown over every other person who'd gone, but Gavin would be the one to break him. After all, Ray and Ryan weren't the only ones who'd danced around their feelings until it was far too late. Michael felt his heart clench at the thought of never seeing Gavin again, alive and okay.





	at the end of the world will you find me (so that we can go together)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Rogue_Sylph](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Rogue_Sylph/gifts).



> To The_Rogue_Sylph: I hope you like this! Zombie aus are normally totally not my thing, so I tried to challenge myself with this - I hope it matches up with what you wanted. I left the ending quite open because I wanted there to be at least a little bit of hope for a happy ending, even if their friends were dead. Zombie details are kind of vague because I really haven’t seen any zombie movies to draw from, so just imagine whatever headcanons you prefer. I hope you like it! (Also, apparently I’m incapable of writing mavin fic that doesn’t focus on Michael POV. Oops?)
> 
> Title from End of the World by Ingrid Michaelson, because it's a song she wrote after watching a bunch of zombie movies

Michael knew, in his gut, that going back to the office was a bad idea. When Ray suggested it, his body’s reaction was a churning stomach and a bad taste in his mouth.

 

Yes, it was true that they were badly in need of supplies. When they'd fled from the outbreak a few days earlier, they'd been in too much of a rush to think about long term plans. The building he and Ray were holed up in was secure enough, but that meant fuck all if they starved to death. Michael couldn't fault Ray's logic that the Rooster Teeth offices would be the most well stocked place in the immediate area. They really didn't have any other options, but that didn't mean he had to like the idea.

 

While Ray had argued the point based on their need for supplies, his unspoken other reason for wanting to go back hung between them. Neither wanted to voice it. That would mean talking about what they'd escaped from, something they'd avoided doing. It was the only way to stop them both from completely breaking down.

Talking about how they'd fled the office after the outbreak meant talking about the people who hadn't made it out. More specifically, for Ray, it meant talking about Ryan. Brave, selfless Ryan who had stayed behind to hold the zombies back. He'd ordered Michael and Ray to run, so Michael had grabbed his friend and done exactly that. He felt a pang of guilt over leaving Ryan there, but the older man had made his choice. Michael wasn't blind, he knew how Ryan felt about Ray. Apparently he'd loved Ray enough to give his life for him, and if Ray's moping was anything to go by, the feeling was mutual. As much as Michael wanted to find Ryan alive, he knew it was a naïve thing to wish for. The best they could hope for was that Ryan wouldn't hadn’t turned into a zombie. In the midst of the outbreak, Michael hadn't quite got a handle on what exactly made the difference. There were dead bodies littering the streets, but it seemed quite random who became a member of the undead.

 

Ryan was far from the only person they'd lost, but that really wasn't a good train of thought to go down. There was a reason Michael couldn't exactly call Ray out without revealing himself as a massive hypocrite. Even as he tried to stop his mind from dwelling on the office, he couldn't kill the spark of hope that they weren't the only ones who’d got away. That maybe Gavin had made it out too. It would kill him if he had to walk back into that office and find Gavin's dead body. He was on the verge of a breakdown over every other person who'd gone, but Gavin would be the one to break him. After all, Ray and Ryan weren't the only ones who'd danced around their feelings until it was far too late. Michael felt his heart clench at the thought of never seeing Gavin again, alive and okay.

 

Michael hoping Gavin was alive was no less naïve than Ray's hope about Ryan, but Michael really would fall apart if he admitted that to himself.

 

"So, you wanna go to tonight?" Ray asked, shaking Michael out of his thoughts. His beloved purple hoodie was caked in dirt and dark bloodstains, and his face was paler than Michael had ever seen. Michael figured his own appearance probably wasn't much better to look at. "Because we could wait for morning, but we've got nothing to eat or drink."

 

"Might as well get it over with" Michael shrugged. The faster they could get in and out the better. "We stick together, though." He still hated the idea of going back, but he'd be damned if he lost the only person he had left.

 

* * *

 

 

The expression 'like a ghost town' had never had much of an impact on Michael until he and Ray stood in the parking lot of Stage 5. The hairs on the back of Michael's neck stood up, even though they could see no one around. The lack of noise was eerie; the road outside was completely clear of vehicles and the buildings in front of them were silent. The late evening sun cast shadows around them that flickered in the corner of Michael's eyes. He was more on edge than he'd ever been before, and he was about to turn around and leave when he realised Ray was no longer by his side. His friend was by the door, keying in the code and stepping back to let it open.

 

As bad as Michael felt, there was no way he was going to leave Ray to explore the buildings alone. Michael had his friend's back no matter what, and he reminded himself of this as he hurried through the doorway after Ray.

 

"Where do we start?" Michael asked, coming to stand next to Ray.

 

Ray shrugged, "We could check out animation as we pass through, it's on our way to the Achievement Hunter office and the kitchen. They're our best bet for supplies."

 

Michael didn't have a better idea, so they set off. The only sound in the building was their footsteps. The fact that they hadn't encountered any zombies the whole time they'd been there freaked Michael out more than he'd like to admit. Something was coming, he didn't know what, but he hated the feeling it gave him. He stuck close to Ray, feeling even more unwilling to get split up.

 

It wasn't long before they found the first bodies. They were sprawled on the floor next to some of the desks, blood stains soaked into the carpet. The smell was overpowering, but Michael didn't want to take the time to stop and vomit. He wanted to check the room out as quickly as possible so they could leave. It felt awful to even think, but Michael was glad that whoever was lying dead on the floor wasn't anyone he knew. If they had to find anyone, at least it was people whose names he didn't even know. He felt no emotion besides the intense desire to be out of that room. Quickly, he stepped away from the bodies.

 

In the desk of one of the dead animators, they found a shotgun and a decent amount of bullets. Michael had never fired a gun, but he figured it couldn't be that hard to figure out. He could probably manage enough to blow the head off a zombie if he needed to. He hoped he wouldn't need to, though. The thought of having to take down a zombified version of one of his coworkers made his blood run cold. The amount of Resident Evil-esque games that Michael had played had in no way prepared him for a real life zombie outbreak. For all Ray's Call of Duty skill, Michael figured his friend was probably in a similar boat.

 

Finally, at long last, there were no more desks to check. Michael didn't look back as he made his way to the door. He heard Ray's footsteps behind him, and they both crept through the doorway.

 

* * *

 

 

They walked past a few more small offices, but avoided peering in the windows. The brief glimpses they got were enough. The dark shapes of bodies slumped over desks or flat out on the floor would haunt Michael for the rest of his life. Of course, given his current circumstances, that might not be a very long time. That was a depressing thought, one he didn't want to dwell on, but his brain had other ideas.

 

Without warning, his brain flashed up a memory. Michael couldn't remember the game they'd been playing, just that it had been the six of them dicking around in a video. He remembered laughing as Gavin and Geoff had a conversation about what they'd be like when they were older. Michael threw out a comment about how he'd hate Gavin in ten years, and then they were all off laughing again. Geoff and Gavin were giggling about being old men in a nursing home, and how they'd still be trying to get at each other. All of a sudden, Michael was filled with a profound sense of sadness washing over him. He felt sadness for every one of his friends whose life had suddenly been cut short. For all the years that they should've had together.

 

"Dude" Ray's voice cut through the memory and brought him back to the present, "You okay?"

 

No, he wasn't okay. Neither of them were okay. But he couldn't say that. He had to be okay, at least until they got out of the office. Neither of them could afford to not be okay. "Fine" he grunted instead, "Just wishing we weren't back here."

 

It wasn't long before they reached the kitchen area, and beyond that the door to the Achievement Hunter office. They stopped to explore the cupboards. For their efforts, they were rewarded with several bags of chips, assorted snacks, and a six pack of water bottles. Michael stuffed their supplies into a backpack they'd found in another room, and then hoisted it onto his back. Then he and Ray stopped and looked at each other.

 

They'd come this far, but now that they were so close to their office, neither one of them wanted to make the first move. They were both afraid of what they'd find behind the door. On one hand, they might find Gavin and Ryan and their other friends alive, but on the other hand, they might be immediately overrun by the zombified versions of their friends (Michael didn't know if the zombies would be smart enough to think up a trap like that). Of course, it was realistically going to be somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. That didn't seem reassuring to Michael. He hadn't realised until that moment how much he'd been holding onto the hope that Gavin would be behind the door waiting for him. He knew it would be a crushing disappointment waiting on the other side of the door, so he decided to just get it over with.

 

Michael handed the backpack to Ray, and then marched up the door to their office. He knocked, not particularly loudly, but the sound echoed anyway. He cursed, hoping that hadn't alerted any lingering zombies to their presence. They'd been lucky so far, but that didn't mean it would last. They had to be careful. Michael pressed his ear to the door, but there was no sound of movement inside. Before he lost his sudden spurt of bravery, Michael gripped the handle and wrenched the door open. His heart rate shot up and he barely even registered the sound of the door bouncing off the wall. He was met with an empty room. Not seeing any immediate danger, Michael stepped inside.

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing that Michael registered was the smell. It was the same aura of death that he'd smelt on the bodies of the dead animators, and he felt his heart sink. He stood frozen to the spot. Over the thudding in his ears as his heart pumped blood at an alarming rate, Michael heard Ray come running up from behind him. His friend stopped next to him, and the two men shared twin looks of horror. There was a body on the other side of the room, and neither one of them wanted to make the first move to find out who it was.

 

"Let's go" Michael said, turning to Ray, "We don't need to know. We can just go. There's nothing we can do for them now."

 

"No" Ray replied, eyes meeting Michael's before flicking back to the body, "I need to know." His voice shook, but Michael knew him well enough to know there was no persuading Ray, so he nodded. Another moment of silence passed between them, and then started to move.

 

Slowly, clutching each other's arms, Michael and Ray crept across the room. Michael registered somewhere in his mind that leaving the door open left them vulnerable to being ambushed, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. All he was focused on was the body they were approaching. He kept up a silent chant in his head, praying to a God he'd never been sure that he believed him, that he wasn't about to stumble across what was left of Gavin. Anyone else he could take, just not Gavin. As he and Ray reached the body, he realised that Ray was probably keeping up the same prayer about Ryan. One of them was about to be wrong.

 

* * *

 

 

The body lay face down, but there was no mistaking that blonde hair or those shoes. Michael didn't want to look closely at what had once been Ryan Haywood, so he focused on Ray instead. Michael felt a strange mix of emotions; relief that it wasn't Gavin, but crushing guilt at Ryan having died helping him. The guilt only got worse at the barely audible gasp Ray let out. Michael swore he saw the exact moment Ray registered what he was seeing; the exact moment when his friend's heart shattered.

Michael felt helpless. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but there didn't seem to be words. What the hell was he supposed to say in this situation? The best he could do was keep hold of Ray's arm, letting him know he was there. The moment stretched out in silence, Ray staring at Ryan, and Michael staring at Ray. It came to an end when Ray jerked into movement, bending down to be closer to their fallen coworker.

 

Snapping into action, Michael tightened his grip on Ray's arm. He yanked them both backwards, in the direction of the door. Ray struggled to free himself, but Michael was stronger. He dragged Ray across the room and out of the door, slamming it behind them. Michael rested his back against the door and slid down to the floor, watching Ray sink to his knees in front of him.

 

"We have to go" Michael said, "Now. We have to get out of here." There was no reply from Ray, who was staring down at his knees and shaking. Michael felt for his friend, he really did, but he also knew that they needed to leave before they let themselves go to pieces. "Ray!"

 

Ray's head snapped up at his name, and Michael's heart clenched again at the tears he hadn't realised were being shed. "Yeah" Ray said, voice barely audible, "Okay."

 

"I'm sorry" Michael said, and meant it more than he ever had before, "Ray, I'm sorry. But there's nothing we can do for him now. We have to get out of here, then he didn't die for nothing."

 

"He died for us" Ray replied, "Like, he didn't even care if he got out. He died helping us, and I never even..." His voice trailed off, and Michael took the opportunity to haul both of them to their feet.

 

"He loved you" Michael said, looking Ray right in the eyes, "That's why he did it. It sucks that you two never got the chance to get your shit together, but if we leave now, if we survive, then that's what Ryan wanted. Okay?" Ray nodded, tears still glistening on his face. "We've got some supplies for now, it'll have to be enough. We're not checking the rest of the place, we're gonna leave right now."

 

Ray had no argument to this, not that Michael would've listened even if he had. The last thing they needed was to search the building for what was left of everyone else at the company that they'd ever cared about.

 

Michael grabbed the backpack full of supplies, stole one last glance at the Achievement Hunter office's closed door, and then set off back in the direction they'd come. He tried not to dwell on the fact that he'd most likely never set foot in that office again. All he had now were the happy memories he'd made with all the people he'd lost. Memories of the one person he was still clinging to the hope that he hadn't lost yet. Michael sent out a prayer to anyone that would've been listening, begging the universe to at least let him have Gavin back.

 

Neither Ray nor Michael spoke as they retraced their steps. The sole focus was on getting as far away as they could in the shortest amount of time. Michael tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him that no amount of distance would ever erase his guilt over Ryan, or erase the memory of Ray's expression when they found the body. Those would be more things he'd have to carry with him for the rest of his life.

 

Michael was so focused on getting them out of there that he stepped out into the fading sun, not noticing the horde zombies until it was far too late. 

 

* * *

 

 

Time seemed to slow down as Michael took in the sight of rotting flesh in front of him, and realised he'd made a huge mistake. He'd let his guard down. They'd been so stupid to come here as night was approaching. The zombies seemed to love the shadows. For a long moment, Michael just stared in shock, Ray frozen next to him.

The bubble burst when one of the zombies lunged, and he pulled Ray off to the side. They took off running, aiming for the bungalow at the other side of the parking lot. There was no use screaming for help; there was no one around to hear them. At best, they'd just alert even more zombies to their position. The only upside to that was that maybe their deaths would be faster.

 

The only good thing about being forced to run for their lives was that Michael was left with no time to look closely at the creatures chasing them. He wasn't able to find out if there was anyone he'd once known in the hoard chasing them. It was better that way. Seeing Ryan's body had been enough, he didn't need to come face to face with the undead version of any of his former coworkers.

 

Michael's chest burned, but he didn't allow himself to slow down. He was dimly aware of Ray wheezing next to him. Poor Ray, who hated the outdoors with a passion and who spent his time indoors playing video games instead of doing any kind of exercise. Video games weren't any use when you were running for your life for real. The gun they'd found wasn't much use either, not at the bottom of the backpack bouncing against Michael's shoulders.

 

They could see the bungalow coming closer into view, and Michael let himself dare to hope that they'd make it there. Barricading themselves inside would buy them time to find more weapons and plan an escape. They could do it. They could make it. Ryan's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain-

 

Of course, Michael had tempted fate. The universe had heard his prayers about staying safe, and stuck up a huge middle finger. Michael felt Ray begin to lag behind. As Michael slowed to help his friend, he watched as one of the zombies caught Ray. His friend let out a horribly pained sound, and this jolted Michael into action. He whacked the nearest zombie with the backpack, sending it stumbling backwards.

 

Ray clutched at his side, and Michael could already see the blood seeping through into the purple material of Ray's hoodie. The zombie who had caught Ray was faster than the others, who hadn't caught up yet. Once again, Michael grabbed Ray, and dragged him the remaining distance across the parking lot. Somehow, by some miracle, they made it up the ramp the bungalow. Even more luckily, the door was unlocked. Michael wrenched it open, shoved Ray inside, and then pulled it closed behind them. There was a chair next to the door, and Michael kicked it over to block the entryway, and then pushed the door’s deadbolt closed just to be safe. He could see the zombies outside, stopped at the base of the ramp. For whatever reason, they weren't going to pursue Michael and Ray any further. Michael was extremely glad about this, as he had no more energy to outrun them.

 

He used the last of his energy to drag his friend into the main office space before they both went sprawling onto the floor.

 

* * *

 

 

Michael took a moment, face pressed into the carpet, to regain control over his breathing. He wheezed, and his lungs burned worse than anything he'd ever felt before, but he figured he'd live. When he managed to push himself up off the floor and into a sitting position, he saw Ray was not faring nearly as well. In the two minutes between the zombie attacking him and Michael throwing them both to the floor of the bungalow, the dark blood stain had blossomed. Ray sat hunched over, clutching at his side. His face was deathly pale. Michael felt his heart drop as he took in just how bad Ray looked.

 

"Ray!" Michael said, shifting closer to his friend, "Shit, Ray. Let me take a look."

Michael had no real medical experience beyond basic first aid when he was a teenager, so he didn't really know what he'd be able to do to help. Still, he pushed Ray's hands out of the way as gently as he could and tried to peel the layers of material away from the wound. As worried as he was by what he saw, a deep gash in Ray's side that was already green tinted as if infected, he was even more worried by how quiet Ray was. Michael knew Ray, had seem him crack jokes at injuries in the past, and so he knew how serious it must be if Ray had gone silent.

Michael tried to put pressure on the wound, like he remembered from his training, but it was no use. The blood was coming fast, and Michael felt Ray collapse against him. Michael shifted them both so that he could see Ray's face as the younger man lent against his arm. Ray's face had grown even paler, and his eyes were unfocused. With another sinking feeling, Michael realised there wasn't going to be anything he could do for Ray. He was looking down at the face of a dying man, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

 

"Ray..." Michael whispered, not sure what to say.

 

"It's okay" came the reply, Ray wincing and wheezing as he tried to get the words out, "I was- I was too slow. My fault. Thanks for trying."

 

"Don't die" Michael begged, "I'll be alone if you die."

 

"Wouldn't if I had the choice" Ray replied, "Not much I can do about a zombie bite, though."

 

"I'm sorry" Michael said, "Shit, Ray, I'm sorry."

 

"Was my idea to come back" Ray whispered, "My fault. Wanted to see Ryan..." Ray's eyes slid closed.

 

"I'm sorry" Michael said again, as he watched the slow rise and fall of Ray's chest, before he became still entirely. He sat there for a long time, cradling Ray as he felt his body grow cold. Eventually, after his legs had long since fallen asleep, Michael lowered Ray to the ground and sat back.

 

* * *

 

 

Michael spent a long time sat there, staring down at the body of his best friend. He felt the sadness he'd been holding at bay threaten to spill over and overwhelm him. He was alone, what was the point in anything anymore? He'd let everyone he cared about die. Ray, Ryan, Gavin. They were all gone. He'd looked all over for Gavin on that first day, before he and Ray had been forced to flee. Maybe if he'd looked harder, he wouldn't be alone right now. He thought about just giving up and walking outside into the crowd of zombies. What else was there for him to do?

 

He bent down again, arms reaching under Ray to lift him up. As much as he'd been in a hurry to leave, now all he could think to do was take Ray back to the office and leave him with Ryan. At least they'd be together then. Maybe, if there really was some kind of afterlife, they'd find each other on the other side. It was the best thing Michael had to imagine right now. He was alone, completely and totally on his own, but at least he could hope that Ray wasn't.

 

Michael never cried. Not when he was a child and he broke his arm twice, not when his beloved dog died, and not when any of his relatives died. He felt sadness, sure, but he never cried. It took him a moment to realise that the sudden wetness sliding down his cheeks were the tears spilling at the death of his best friend.

 

As Michael went to pick Ray up, he heard a crash coming from the room next to him. His blood ran cold. He'd thought he was alone, and yet he hadn't made that noise. Maybe it was a zombie, coming for him at last. Or, he dared to hope, maybe it was another survivor. He heard another thud, more muffled this time, and he sprang into action.

 

Gently, he lowered Ray back to the floor. He pulled a jacket off a nearby chair, and laid it over Ray's face. It was the best he could do right now. If he could get back later and give Ray a proper burial  he would, but for now he had to move. Michael fetched the gun he'd found earlier from the backpack, and crept to the door of the meeting room. He couldn't see anything through the glass pane in the door, but that didn't mean he was letting his guard down.

 

He flicked the handle up and let the door swing open by itself. One beat went by, and then another. Nothing happened, so Michael took a cautious step into the room. His eyes got as far as scanning the table in front of him before a blow to the head sent him crashing to the floor. Instantly, his hand went to gun that he'd dropped next to him. Before he could raise it and fire, he heard a noise that sent his heart rate spiking again.

 

There was only one person he knew who had that uncanny ability to squawk like a bird. The one person he'd been praying to run into. Michael didn't dare turn his head, didn't dare let himself hope. Clearly his mind had finally snapped. He’d not been alone for that long, and already he was hallucinating.

 

There was the thud of his attacker dropping something to the floor, and then suddenly warm arms were enveloping him and someone was breathing heavily right next to his ear.

 

"Michael" came the whisper, the familiar British accent, and only then did Michael dare to turn his head. Slowly, wincing at the pain in the side of his head, Michael came face to face with Gavin Free.

 

* * *

 

 

Michael couldn't find his voice. There were a million things running through his mind, and he couldn't make his brain connect to his mouth to say any of them.

 

For all his hoping and praying, he had no idea how to react to the man kneeling in front of him. Next to Gavin he saw a plank of wood, and realised that was what he'd been assaulted with. Clearly Gavin had been expecting an attacker and had hid behind the door to surprise whoever (or whatever) it was. Michael counted himself lucky that Gavin was so physically weak; there'd been no real power behind his swing.

 

"Gavin..." was all Michael could manage, reaching out a hand to clutch at the other man. His hand met something solid, and Michael felt his heart leap as he realised he wasn't hallucinating. Gavin was really there, in front of him. It was an insane mood whiplash; his grief over Ray and his relief over Gavin.

 

"Michael" Gavin replied, "Michael, you're alive!"

 

"Yeah, boy" Michael found a ghost of smile forming on his face. Even in the darkest of times, even at the end of the world, Gavin's mere presence was enough to make Michael smile. He hadn't fully comprehended how much he'd missed the other man until just now. "I'm alive." Michael reached his arms up and wrapped them around Gavin's torso. They sat there for a minute, hugging each other tightly on the floor of the meeting room.

 

"I thought you were dead" Michael said, finally breaking the silence. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the compulsion to explain to Gavin exactly how worried he'd been, "I thought- I couldn't find you, that first day, and then Ray and I got out and I thought you were dead."

 

"Ray's here?" Gavin's face lit up, and Michael's stomach churned with guilt.

 

He shook his head, "Not anymore. I couldn't- We came back for supplies and we ran into some zombies and Ray-" Michael broke off when the lump in his throat got too big to talk through, but Gavin understood what he meant.

 

"Geoff's gone too" Gavin said, quieter and softer than Michael had ever heard him speak, "We got out that day, but they found us later on. I got away, but Geoff-" He broke off too, and Michael could see the guilt flash in Gavin's eyes. Clearly they both had some issues. Michael opened his mouth to say something reassuring, but closed it again when there was a noise outside.

 

"We need to move" Michael said, climbing to his feet and ignoring the way the room shook, "We need to leave now, Gav."

 

"Okay" Gavin said, climbing to his feet. "Let's go."

 

"Stay close to me" Michael told him, "We're not getting separated again."

 

Gavin nodded, and they set off.

 

* * *

 

 

They retrieved the backpack from the main room of the bungalow, and Michael took care to avoid looking down at Ray's body. He sent off a silent apology to Ray, wherever he was now, about not being able to properly bury him. Then he and Gavin were out the door and running for the exit from the car park. Mercifully, they encountered no one. Michael's chest was burning again, but he didn't stop running until they were at least a block away. He wanted to be as far away from the Rooster Teeth office as possible.

 

"We need somewhere to hide and spend the night" Michael told Gavin. The sun was almost completely set by this point, and it was too dangerous for them to stay out in the open for long.

 

"There's a motel down there" Gavin pointed a little further down the road.

 

"Perfect" Michael said, and they hurried off in the direction Gavin had indicated.

 

Normally, Michael would feel bad about swiping a key from the empty reception desk and letting himself and Gavin into a room free of charge. However, normal had gone out of the window the second the zombie outbreak had begun. Everyone played by a whole new set of rules in the apocalypse.

 

Michael did a search of the outside of their room, checking to make sure none of the zombies had followed them there, but he came up empty. When he returned to the front door, he was greeted by the sight of Gavin sat in the middle of the singular double bed. The other man had his knees drawn up to his chest and tears flowing down his cheeks. Michael realised, with a now familiar sinking feeling, that Gavin was going to start hyperventilating if he didn't do something. He closed the door behind him and crossed the small room, sitting next to Gavin on the bed. Michael wrapped his arms around the younger man, and Gavin leaned into him.

 

They sat there for a long time, neither wanting to disturb the calm. Michael was far too wound up to sleep, and far too scared of the nightmares he knew were coming. If he closed his eyes, all he saw was a slideshow of the horrors he'd had to witness; Ray's lifeless body, Ryan's rotting corpse, the dead unnamed dead bodies in the other offices, the flesh of the zombies. It was surreal that this was their life now.

 

* * *

 

 

Some time later, Gavin sat up and blinked at Michael. The air in the room suddenly felt a lot thicker, as Gavin geared up to say whatever was on his mind.

 

"How did you get out?" Gavin asked, "That first day. Me and Geoff- we couldn't find you. I didn't want to go without you, but you weren't there."

 

"Ray and I-" Michael swallowed, and then started again, "We were back in the office when it started. I wanted to find you, but they were everywhere. We would've been slaughtered. Ryan- Ryan held them off so we could escape."

 

Gavin's face fell, "Ryan's dead?"

 

Michael nodded, "We found his body when we went back to the office."

 

"Geoff, Ryan, Ray" Gavin said, his eyes downcast, "I can't believe they're gone. Was it just you and Ray? Is there anyone else?"

 

"I haven't seen anyone else. There were bodies in the building, but we didn't look too closely. The only one I recognised for sure was Ryan."

 

"There could be others who got out" Gavin said, and Michael wished he had Gavin's naïve hope, "We both did. Jack, Jeremy, Lindsay- they could be alive." The names of their other friends made Michael's heart twinge again. The enormity of his loss was finally sinking in.

 

"If they are, they're long gone" Michael shrugged, "We were the only ones stupid enough to go back into the office."

 

They lapsed into a silence, both grappling with the dawning sensation that they were alone and stranded, with no one coming to save them. Michael felt like he was going to explode if he was left alone with his thoughts for much longer. The only bright spot in this eternally shitty situation was the man in front of him. The man he'd been going out of his mind worrying about. The man he didn't ever want to lose again.

Michael thought about Ray and Ryan, and about what ifs and lost opportunities. Then he made a decision. It was the fucking apocalypse, the end of the world, so what did he have to lose anymore?

 

"Ray and Ryan..." Michael began, and Gavin shot him a puzzled look. "They waited too long. Ryan died to save Ray, but they never told each other how they felt. Do you remember how they were in the office?"

 

"So much sexual tension" Gavin's features twitched into a small smile.

 

"They would've been great together, we could all see it. Except they never got their shit together, and now it's too late. Maybe they found each other in whatever comes next after death, but they never got to do shit while they were alive. I don't want my life to be like that."

 

"Michael..." Gavin said, scooting across the duvet to get closer to him.

 

"I thought" Michael continued, not letting Gavin interrupt him while he was on a roll. It was now or never for his confession. He just needed Gavin to know, to understand. "I thought that you were dead. I couldn't find you when we left and I thought I'd lost you. When Ray and I came back to the office today, I was terrified it was your body we were going to find in there."

 

"But I'm okay, Michael" Gavin replied, touching his arm.

 

"I know" Michael replied, "And I've never been more relieved in my entire goddamn life, Gav. Don't you get it? All our friend are dead, the world is ending, and all I cared about was finding you. I could power through anything apart from losing you."

 

His words were met with silence from Gavin, so Michael kept going.

 

"I love you, Gav. I've been in love with you for so fucking long. I never said anything, but fuck it. The world is ending, and I'm not letting you die before I tell you that I love you."

 

"Michael..." Gavin said again, and then fell silent.

 

"It's okay" Michael shrugged, "I'm not asking for your damn hand in marriage, Gav. I get it, if you don't feel the same. I just- I needed you to know. I saw how fucking heartbroken Ray was, after we found Ryan. I didn't want to end up like that, okay? I-"

 

He was cut off by Gavin launching himself into Michael's lap, their lips crashing together. For a moment, Michael was too stunned to respond, but then his brain kicked into gear and he wrapped his arms around Gavin, drawing him closer. Michael had spent far longer than he cared to admit fantasising about kissing Gavin, but this blew all of his dreams out of the water. He finally understood why people talked about fireworks. The zombies could tear down the door right now and take him, because nothing in his life could ever be better than kissing Gavin.

 

It was over far too soon, both of them needing to come up for air. Michael's face hurt from the grin he couldn't hold back, and Gavin flashed him a smile of his own. It was bittersweet, because as happy as they were, Michael couldn't forget all the friends he would never get to tell about this. He'd never get The Talk from Geoff about his pseudo son, and he'd never hear the smug 'I told you so's from the rest of the office. Wherever Ray was now, Michael could imagine him gloating about how his dramatic death had been the catalyst for Mavin.

 

"I love you too, Michael" Gavin said, breaking the silence, "If Geoff were here, he'd be over the moon. He's been telling me for months to tell you that."

 

Michael smiled, "They're probably all somewhere laughing at us. Watching us make out, the fucking perverts."

 

Gavin giggled, a slight hysterical tone creeping in. It hurt a little less to talk about the others if they were making jokes. It was how Michael had dealt with everything else shitty that life had dealt him, so it was as good a coping mechanism as any. He and Gavin could see a therapist and sort out their shit if they ever made it out of the apocalypse alive. Until then, they'd carry their friends with them every step of the way.

 

"Tomorrow we'll have to move" Michael said, "Maybe try to get out of Austin. We can't be the only two people alive in the whole of the United States. There have to be other survivors."

 

"No internet here" Gavin said, "If we could find somewhere still connected, we could see who's still out there."

 

Michael replied, "Tomorrow we'll get shit done, but tonight we're gonna stay here."

 

"Only one bed" Gavin pointed out, gesturing to the furniture.

 

"I think we'll manage" Michael shrugged.

 

They spent the rest of the night cuddling together on the bed of their shitty motel room. At some point, Gavin nodded off into a fitful sleep. Michael just held him close and tried to soothe away the nightmares. The morning, and everything after, would be tough. They had no plan, no supplies, and no friends. For all Michael knew, they might be the last two people alive in Austin, or even the entire world. But they had each other, as cheesy as it sounded to Michael, and that was enough for now. He'd fight whatever zombies he had to if it meant keeping Gavin safe and by his side for as long as possible.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry that Ryan and Ray had to be sacrificed for Mavin. It just sort of happened. I teared up writing Ray's death scene. 
> 
> Also, the first part of this ended up being quite centred on Michael and Ray, but I felt it was necessary to set up Michael's hopelessness at thinking he's lost Gavin and everyone he cares about. He had to hit his lowest point before he could find Gavin again.


End file.
